Be More Heroic
by The Flippant Writer
Summary: Jaune's greatest goal in life is to be a hero. It's a little hard to accomplish that when he's weak, spineless, gullible, and generally unprepared for the rigors of Huntsman life, though. So when he's presented a seemingly magical pill that can supposedly make him better, well, what else is there to lose at this point? AU
1. Chapter 1

Be More Heroic

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY nor Be More Chill

* * *

What did it mean to be a hero?

Was it the outfit? The weapon? The attitude?

If you asked Jaune's grandfather, it was the deeds.

 _"Great deeds make great heroes,"_ he would tell little Jaune as he sat on his lap.

It had stuck with him for all these years. It captured his imagination and enamored him to the idea of being a great hero. Fearsome Grimm would fall like wheat at harvest and nefarious villains would lay defeated at his feet. He would be admired by the people and looked up to by all those who came after him.

He came to Beacon to become a hero. He wanted to be _the_ hero. He wanted to be the brave and charming knight who charged into a hopeless battle and came out scraped up but victorious while carrying the damsel in distress.

Now, though?

"Move it, loser," a familiar voice barked.

Jaune was rudely jerked from his thoughts by a rough shove to his back that nearly sent him falling face first. As it was, he only stumbled forward in a display that was no less humiliating. A hand smacked the back of his head just as he caught himself. He looked up while rubbing the back of his head and was met with the retreating backs of Cardin and his team, all of them were having a good laugh. The large boy hadn't even bothered to regard him with a backwards glance.

"Asshole!" he called out.

Except he didn't do that. Cardin left his back open because knew Jaune wouldn't do anything. He never did. _  
_

He sighed and dropped his gaze to the floor as he continued walking towards class with hands in pockets.

 _"Why does he just take it?"_

 _"'Cause he can't do anything about. Dude's a wimp."_

 _"Still, take a swing or something..."_

 _"How'd a guy like that become a team leader over_ the _Pyrrha Nikos?"_

 _"Man, I feel so bad for her. Hey, you think I could use that angle to chat her up?"_

The whispers and the giggling of those who stood witness surrounded him, but he did his best to tune them out. It wasn't anything new for anyone. Jaune the weakling, Jaune the wimp, Jaune the _loser_ just being humiliated again.

He came to Beacon to be a hero, but now he just wanted to survive.

* * *

A quick smile and a nod to Pyrrha was enough to ward off any implication that he was upset as he sat next to her. Her return smile was positively radiant. He didn't know how it was possible for someone to be so ridiculously beautiful, but it seemed that was a prerequisite for every woman that chose the path of the Huntress. Team RWBY alone could be confused for a group of supermodels if they didn't carry weapons around.

Thinking of Team RWBY made him think of Weiss - incredible, beautiful, smart, regal, lovely Weiss - and he was hit with conflicting feelings of bliss and hurt. She had spurned his every advance and he just couldn't figure out what he was doing wrong. Confidence alone didn't seem to cut it but he didn't know what else he could do.

He had tried charming her with smooth words; she just glared before summarily ignoring him.

He had tried presenting her with flowers; she rolled her eyes and walked away.

He had tried leaving a love letter in front of her door; she tore it in half.

He had tried paying one of the Bullhead pilots to write her name in the sky only to be told that not only would he not do it, but that it was impossible to do that in a Bullhead. Then he reported him to Goodwitch who gave him a stern lecture on misappropriation of school resources.

Maybe he could serenade her? He hadn't really tried to sing before but he was pretty good with the guitar.

He figuratively shook his head clear. He could worry about his unsuccessful overtures later. He was in class now and he had to take it more seriously than anyone else. So he shoved his many, many, many failed romantic endeavors to the back of his mind and waited for class to begin.

 _Pap_

Someone snickered. He kept his eyes forward.

 _Pap_

He wouldn't acknowledge it. It would only encourage them.

 _Pap_

Jaune breathed in deeply and grit his teeth as yet another balled up scrap of paper bounced off the back of his head. It wasn't that bad, just a little annoying. They'd get bored eventually.

Suddenly there was a light crinkling of paper behind him. He couldn't help but turn his head to investigate and was immediately met with the sight of his partner glaring at something behind them with her arm outstretched behind his head. Upon turning further, he saw her fist clenched around another wad of paper; and beyond that - a few rows behind them - was Team CRDL feigning innocence.

"Those hooligans...," Pyrrha hissed.

His partner's indignation on his behalf should have touched him. Instead, he just felt embarrassment that he had to be defended. Again.

He gently took her arm and brought it down while shaking his head, "Forget about them, Pyrrha. They're children."

Except he didn't do or say that. He just looked down at his desk and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not a big deal...," he demurred. Except it kinda was. It was a mind game, a power play, one that he had neither the skill nor the guts to counter.

"Maybe not," Pyrrha conceded. She lowered her arm and gave him her full attention. "However it _is_ inappropriate. We're not here to play schoolyard bullies with each other, we're here to become Hunters. They shouldn't be bothering you like- "

"It's fine, Pyrrha. It's just a little messing around, you know how us guys are," he interjected with a big smile that he was well-versed in forcing onto his face regardless of his mood. It was a poor mask, apparently, as Pyrrha looked ready to press the issue.

"Quiet down, class," Goodwitch called out as she walked into the class. She never needed to yell, not more than once at any rate. "Today we'll be going over combat in enclosed quarters. You've all had your fill of practical combat for now so we'll spend some time on theory."

Pyrrha's mouth clacked shut and she seemed frustrated for a brief moment before she shook her head in resignation and turned her attention to the professor. Jaune nearly sighed in relief, both at the save and at the fact that yet another humiliating defeat in combat practice had been postponed. He pulled out his notebook and and tried to pay close attention.

Maybe he could doodle Vav while he was listening as well.

...

Seven minutes later and he was more concerned with his doodling than he was with the class.

* * *

Team JNPR filed out with the rest of the class, all of them eager to get out but reluctant to go to the next class. Jaune was fortunate in that Team CRDL had already left so he didn't have to deal with them again. Although, they likely hadn't stuck around because he had his partner nearby. They never tried anything brazen while he was within arm's reach of the Invincible Girl.

"UGH! That was _so BORING!_ " Nora griped. Combat Practice & Theory was usually her favorite class, but it was more so the 'Practice' part as opposed to the 'Theory'.

Ren, naturally, had a different opinion, "I thought it was a very productive class. It covered the vital points of combat in an enclosed space so that we won't be caught by surprise by unexpected consequences."

It was a logical and insightful summation; it was so Ren. Always cool, never ruffled, and good-looking on top of it. Ren was choice eye-candy among some of the other students from what he had heard. The only thing that kept them at bay was the idea of having to deal with Nora in order to get at him.

Said girl groaned at Ren's response and threw her hands up in the air, "It was a personal attack is what it was! 'Mind the swing of longer and more powerful weapons', 'Explosives must be used with extreme caution', blah, blah, bah!"

That wasn't a bad impression of Goodwitch, actually.

"It sounds like the class was most helpful for you then," Ren casually said.

The redhead gasped and flung herself over his shoulders, letting herself be dragged along with him.

"Reeeeeeeen~! Don't take her side!"

Ren clearly wasn't bothered at having to drag Nora's weight with him. Nor did he seem bothered at how her bountiful chest pressed tightly against his back. Her personality was a little...intense, but there was no denying she was a beautiful girl. How Ren kept calm while she was literally hanging off of him was beyond his understanding.

Speaking of beautiful girls...

Jaune turned around and saw Team RWBY exiting the classroom as well. Yang was conversing with Blake about one thing or another while Weiss was perusing over what seemed to be Ruby's notes, evident by the various pastry and weapon stickers plastered to the front. Finally the heiress snapped the notebook shut and handed it back to her leader.

"It's acceptable, but I use that term very, very lightly in this case. You _do_ need to work on your handwriting, however. It's nearly illegible."

It was good enough for Ruby who snatched the notebook back and pumped a fist in victory. Weiss was a perfectionist, and that was apparent to anyone who had known her for more than five seconds. Any amount of praise had to be difficult to earn, especially for the young girl who was the leader of the team. It was accomplishing its purpose, however, as Ruby was quickly picking up the slack that appeared from skipping two years worth of schooling. Watching the normally cold and acerbic young woman care for Ruby like that sent a flutter throughout Jaune's chest.

Bolstered by renewed feelings and unhindered by past failures, Jaune executed an about face and bee-lined straight for Team RWBY; completely ignorant of the dismay that appeared on his own team's faces as they realized he was going to make yet another pass at the ivory-haired woman.

"Hey, Ruby!" he called out jovially before he shifted his expression to something he felt made him look suave. "Weiss~" he purred.

Their reactions were night and day as Ruby cheerfully returned his greeting and Weiss' face twisted into undisguised contempt. His confidence shook a little but he remained otherwise undeterred.

"So, Weiss," he said as charmingly as he could. Some objective part of him realized he just sounded hammy but he wrote it off as his natural insecurity speaking, "I see you've been helping Ruby with her classwork. How about you and I- "

"I'd rather ingest an entire Burn crystal," Weiss said curtly.

The sudden interjection threw Jaune off and his entire facade evaporated, "Buh- Wait- I didn't even- "

"You didn't have to, Arc," she said while rolling her eyes. "You're disgustingly transparent."

She swept past him before he could recover. Blake moved past with nary a glance and Yang roughly patted his shoulder as she walked by. Ruby remained for a second longer, her worried gaze rapidly flipping between Weiss' retreating form and Jaune's frozen one. Finally she gave a quiet apology before scurrying after her team.

Jaune slumped as his mind finally caught up to the fact that - yet again - he failed to woo Weiss. Just to compound that failure, he was treated to another round of snickering from the students who were around to watch his rejection. A hand came to rest in between his shoulder blades and he turned around to meet Pyrrha's supportive smile. He weakly returned it before another feminine arm suddenly snaked around his neck and roughly pulled him back.

"Don't let it get you down, Jauney!" Nora exclaimed happily. "You know what they say: Sixth time's the charm!"

He gagged and wrapped his fingers around the lithe arm in an attempt to pull it away. It was futile as Nora's strength was something else. Fortunately Ren came to the rescue and gently pried him from her grip.

"It's the third time," Ren corrected as Jaune gasped for air.

"Then the sixth time has to be double the charm," Nora said triumphantly, secure in her own logic.

Jaune finally caught his breath and weakly mumbled, "Y-Yeah, thanks, Nora."

A gloved hand came to rest on his arm. "Why don't you focus on your studies for the time being," Pyrrha said with an encouraging smile. "Mid-terms are coming up and I...I'm sure Weiss would be impressed if you were to score well."

His head snapped up and his face suddenly filled with hope, "You think so?"

The champion nodded, "Of course... I can even help you study?"

Jaune nodded eagerly, completely oblivious to how stiffly she had nodded and how hopeful she had sounded about offering to study with him, "That would be awesome! Thanks, Pyrrha!"

Unseen by both, Nora rolled her eyes as Pyrrha seemed to light up at his acceptance even as Jaune was absorbed with the idea of impressing Weiss with his test scores.

* * *

"And so what was the primary cause for Vacuo's involvement in the war?"

Jaune chewed his lip as he flipped aimlessly through his notebook. He managed to find some notes he had thoughtlessly jotted down in between doodles and little blurbs of a fantastical nature but none of them had the answer he needed.

"Uh...they were...upset that other people had more food than them...?"

Pyrrha's exasperated sigh didn't fill him with confidence.

"Jaune, Vacuo had more than enough food prior to the war. They were a tropical paradise with an abundance of natural resources. Which of those resources could have sparked a conflict in the region?"

He spent another two minutes flipping through his notebook and desperately scrambling through his hazy memories of History class.

"I think it was...um..."

"DUST!" Nora shouted from her bed. "IT WAS DUST!"

Pyrrha swung her head around to glare at her. "Nora!," she admonished, "He won't learn if you give him the answers."

"Well I couldn't help it! He was just sitting there looking like a lost little puppy!" Nora flopped back onto her bed, satisfied that she had said her piece.

Pyrrha sighed again and looked back towards Jaune, "She's correct, Dust was the primary cause of Vacuo's involvement in the war. Mantle sought to exploit Vacuo's Dust reserves and so initiated an invasion to seize them."

The blond knight groaned and let his head fall into the desk. They had been studying for three hours and all he had learned was that he was completely unprepared for the mid-terms. Shame crept up his neck as he realized that despite all his talk about needing to take classes seriously he had done literally nothing but slack off.

"Let's take a break," he mumbled in defeat. He felt Pyrrha's hand rub his back. What was probably intended to help only made him feel worse. Now he was being consoled like a little child upset that he didn't get ice cream.

"A break sounds marvelous," Pyrrha agreed. "Why don't we go get some food. I heard the cafeteria is serving those chicken nuggets you like~"

Jaune's spiraling self-esteem couldn't help but point out that she sounded just like his mom. He really was just like a child to her. Someone to coddle and care for rather than someone that could be considered an equal. He lifted himself up with a heavy sigh.

"Actually, I kinda feel like getting something from Vale."

"Oh, I can join you then," his partner offered cheerfully. He shook his head.

"I kinda want to go get this on my own. I need some time to think and stuff..."

Pyrrha's smile lowered and her face morphed into one of concern. He cut her off as she as opened her mouth to ask if he was okay.

"I'm fine, Pyrrha, I just have to figure some stuff out." He tried to his best to smile convincingly at her but apparently it was transparent as his attempt earlier that day. Fortunately she decided to not push the issue and nodded in response.

"Okay, but you know I- we're here to talk if you have anything on your mind," she offered. Nora chose that moment to physically jump in.

"Yeah!" she shouted into his ear, making him jump in surprise. "You can even talk to Ren if you want. He's a great listener! Right, Renny?"

Ren looked up from his textbook, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Reeeen~!"

Jaune smiled - genuinely this time - as Nora dive-bombed onto Ren.

"Thanks, guys. I'll take you up on that if I ever need to."

He gave a final wave of goodbye before he walked out of the room and headed for the Bullhead platforms. He had just enough time to grab a flight down for some fast food and get back up before they stopped ferrying for the night. There was a light skip in his step as he thought about his team's concern for him They were great friends, and great Hunters on top of that.

Which was exactly the problem. He couldn't confide in them about this. They had somehow not gotten around to asking him why he was so weak, probably out of consideration for him. That question would inevitably come up if he tried to talk to them about his problems and ask for their help. Then he would either have to lie straight to their faces or tell them about how he _cheated_ his way into Beacon. Both were unappealing options.

The pleasant mood that his team put him in gradually melted away as all of his previous self-doubts crept back into his thoughts. He had to work through this on his own. He had to be the hero he _knew_ he could be. The memory of getting smacked around the back of his head flitted into his mind.

He just wish he knew how.

* * *

His mood had improved a little after buying his burger and fries. Even if it was unintentional, the walk had helped him clear his head a bit. His situation still sucked but that didn't mean it had to suck forever, right? He just had to...buckle down or something.

As he was walking down the sidewalk back towards the Bullheads, a low sound from an alleyway ahead caught his attention. It sounded like a voice but he couldn't tell what was being said. Normally he would write it off however something about the voice rubbed him the wrong way. On top of that, it was getting late and most people were already home. Something was tickling his paranoia, so he looked left and right for any other passerby - of which there were none - and crept up to the alley.

He carefully peeked around the corner and saw something he had only seen in his daydreams.

A young girl was leaning back against the wall while a bigger and older man leaned over her with a hand planted above her. Jaune tried not to jump conclusions. Maybe they knew each other? Maybe this was some late night...uh, _meeting_ between lovers. He had read something like that in one of his sister's books. His new proximity had fortunately granted him the ability to hear what was being said.

"Aww, c'mon, stop turning away~" the man rasped. His voice had a slur that hinted at intoxication. "You come wandering around here alone and now you wanna act like you didn't want this?"

Okay, it was exactly what he had assumed. This guy was trying to take advantage of a defenseless girl. The bag of fast food crinkled in his fist as his heart started hammering in his chest as his fight or flight kicked in. This was it, his time to to be a hero. He swallowed the flight instinct and forced himself to step into the alley. The pair hadn't noticed him yet so he decided to announce himself as firmly as he could.

"That's enough!" he shouted.

Except that didn't happen. Instead his voice cracked as he shakily called out. "H-Hey!"

Both parties turned towards him and he felt his throat lock up as his mind scrambled for what to do next. The choice was taken out of his hands when the man pulled away from the girl and addressed him with an irritated growl.

"Yeah? Whaddya want, kid?"

To go back to his room and eat his burger if he was being perfectly honest. But that girl needed his help and he wasn't going to ignore that. He just had to scare this guy off. He was going to look him straight in the eye and firmly tell him to leave. With his face set into his best stern countenance, he opened his mouth to speak.

"You- uh...she...you should stop," he stammered.

There was a moment of silence. Then the man seemed to choke on something before he burst out in laughter.

"Pft-PAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, Dust! BWAHAHA! Was- Was that supposed to some hero shit, boy?! BAHAHAHA!"

Heat blossomed across Jaune's cheeks as the man slowly gathered himself. His laughter dissolved into chuckles and he wiped a burgeoning tear from his eye.

"Ooh, boy, that was a good one. Tell ya what kid, just for givin' me a good laugh, I'll let you walk away from here so you can go back home. Yer mommy's gotta be wonderin' where you are."

Jaune swallowed his embarrassment and tried to recover. "Not until you leave her alone."

The man snorted and stepped forward. His appearance became clear as he walked out of the shadow. Brown, messy hair and bloodshot eyes bedecked a stubbly face; and a stained t-shirt and frayed jeans made up his outfit. His face was set into a scowl as he looked Jaune up and down.

"And what if I don't, tough guy?" he growled. Something akin to excitement filled Jaune as he opened his mouth to respond with the obvious, cool one-liner.

"You gonna make?" the man continued.

Having his response ripped from him threw Jaune through a loop for a second. _He_ was supposed to be the one to say that second part

"Um...yes...?"

The drunk scoffed and cracked his neck before marching aggressively towards him. Jaune dropped his food and lifted his arms into a pose he vaguely recalled Yang always did. His heart threatened to burst out of his ribcage as the man came closer. This wasn't a spar, this was an actual street fight. There wouldn't be anyone to step in to stop things from going too far. Which means he had to win this or who knows what would happen to the girl.

He clumsily swung his fist in the general direction of the man as soon as he came into range. There were two things that could happen, he figured. Either he'd miss but ward the man off or he'd hit and hopefully knock him out.

What he didn't expect was for the man to duck under his arm before grabbing it and tossing him over his shoulder.

A grunt flew from his lips as his back slammed onto the ground. Something tapped his cheek as he tried to reorient himself and his head jerked lightly to the side.

"AH FUCK!"

Jaune blinked rapidly and his clearing vision was met with the sight of the man leaning against the wall while holding his foot.

"What the fuck?! The fuck is up with you, freak?!"

Jaune lifted his hand to his cheek and and rubbed the spot he had felt the tap. Was that a kick he felt? Something clicked and his eyes widened. It was his Aura! Normal people didn't have theirs unlocked and so hitting him must have felt like hitting a wall.

Apparently the man came to the same conclusion as his features morphed from anger to fear.

"Sh-Shit, Huntsman!"

The realization was enough for the man to turn tail and limp away as fast as he could. Jaune stared after him in disbelief before he felt a light nudging in his side. He looked down (up) to see a dainty, gloved hand held in front of his face in an unspoken offer. He accepted the hand before he could really think about it and was roughly jerked back up onto his feet.

Mismatched eyes looked up at him and a cheerful smile was casually stretched across the face of the girl he had...saved? She definitely didn't look like someone who was nearly assaulted. In fact, she seemed kind of amused. And wow if she didn't make it look sexy. Multi-colored hair coifed to perfection, a heart-shaped face that made his heart skip a few beats, and a small but curvy body that sent his hormones into overdrive.

"Uh, hey," he said, unsure of what else to say.

She lifted a hand and curled her fingers in greeting but didn't say anything else. He hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"Are you...you know, okay?"

A nod, but still no verbal response. There was a longer stretch of silence as they both stared at each other. Jaune fidgeted and looked to and fro as he started to get uncomfortable with the situation. The girl seemed to be content to just stand there and stare at him on the other hand. Was this what being admired was like? Was she into him because he saved her? He had no clue what to do. Should he give her an autograph or something?

The glowing screen of a scroll was suddenly shoved into his face. He jerked his head back in surprise and looked back down at the girl. She looked him dead in the eyes with the same - now off-putting - smile and gave her scroll a light shake. He gulped as he considered the possibility she was asking for his number. His hopes died a cruel and brutal death as he turned to look at the display.

 **'You got your ass kicked lol'**

His jaw dropped in shock before he looked back at the girl who pulled her scroll away and giggled silently into her hand.

"W-Well I scared him off, didn't I?" he defended with burning cheeks. Her fingers flew across the display before being held back up for him to read.

 **'Only because you have Aura. If you didn't have that he would've stomped you ;)'**

Blue eyes turned away and his body seemed to deflate. He wanted to refute her, but he couldn't. She was right. He couldn't even fight off a drunk civilian. Even this girl could tell how useless he was. The little bit of self-esteem he had scraped from his intervention was mercilessly crushed.

"Yeah..." he mumbled in defeat. "Well, I'm glad you're okay at least. I'm just gonna go now..."

He turned around and walked back towards the alley's entrance. He dismissed the food with a glance. It had been crushed sometime during the altercation and he didn't have enough time to get more. Looks like he was going hungry tonight.

He couldn't even protect his Grimm-damned food...

A hand tugging the back of his shirt stopped him in his tracks. He looked back towards the girl who was holding her scroll out again.

 **'I could help with that'**

Jaune blinked once in confusion. "Help with...what?" he asked tentatively.

She released his shirt and swiped through her scroll for a moment before handing it over to him. There was an arrow overlaid onto a black background on the screen. She wanted him watch a video? He shook his head.

"I'm sorry but I gotta get back to Beacon before ferry hours end. I'm gonna get in trouble if I take too long."

The girl's brow furrowed and her cheeks puffed into an adorable pout. She thrust the scroll at him demandingly. He wanted to politely refuse again but something in her eyes told him that 'no' wasn't an option. He glanced at the time sitting at the top of the scroll's display. There was still a little bit of time before he absolutely had to be back.

So he gingerly accepted the scroll and tapped the arrow once. The black screen turned to gray with a title.

 _'Test Commercial 7b'_

It stayed up for only a second or so before it cut out to another black screen with a countdown starting from three. As soon as it finished the video cut to a suited man standing in a white room. He immediately began talking.

 _"We here at Somy believe in making life easier,"_ he said with an easy-going smile. _"Our company has developed products to that end, and it's what's brought us to where we are now."_

 _"Recent breakthroughs in quantum computing technology has opened a new world of possibilities for us. In fact, with the ability to compute in qubits, we can even see all of those possibilities and their likelihoods!"  
_

 _"The opportunities are endless, but we at Somy have only one goal. To make_ your _life easier. And so we've created the Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor; or simply, the SQUIP."_

It was at this point that the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a gray, oblong pill and presented it for the camera.

 _"Inside this pill is a quantum nanocomputer that - when ingested - will sync to your body and assist in your everyday life. Imagine: your own personal supercomputer that will literally improve your life! Use it to improve your career."_

A short clip of a young woman in a business suit shaking hands with two older men of clear importance played.

 _"Enhance your love life."_

There was a man and a woman sitting close together on a loveseat and laughing.

 _"Or just become the life of the party!"_

A young man stood in the center of a small crowd with a beer in hand; his arms were waving around animatedly as he told some story that enraptured and amused the people around him.

 _"And for those who spend their time protecting us, this amazing little pill can even improve your skills and ensure you return to the people you love."_

Three people stood side-by-side in their own professional and heroic poses. Two wore the uniform of a police officer and a soldier, but the third was dressed in a casual outfit and was resting a massive axe on his shoulder. The scene cut back to the man in the white room.

 _"Whether you're looking for a bit of a boost or a total makeover, the SQUIP will help you reach your goals. So be quick, and get yourself a SQUIP."_

The man's smiling face faded out into the Somy logo and then the video ended. Jaune remained staring at the black screen. His mind had latched onto that last example and was running it on repeat.

'Improve your skills' he had said. Did that mean it could make him a better fighter? It had even shown a Huntsman! Common sense was telling him that it sounded like one of those male enhancement pills. But this wasn't some shady one-man company peddling a vague product. This was _Somy_. They were a well-known tech company headquartered in _Atlas_. They wouldn't, _couldn't_ risk selling something bogus.

Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn't heard anything about Somy selling this SQUIP thing. He may not know exactly what quantum computing was but it sounded like something that would've been on the news or something. How much was something like this going to cost anyway?

He looked back towards the girl with these questions but they all died on his tongue immediately. His eyes locked on to the gray, oblong pill delicately pinched in-between her two fingers. Her face was was stretched into a sly grin and she teasingly waved the pill in a beckoning manner. He gingerly reached out to grab it only for her to snatch it back and thrust her other hand out towards him, rubbing her thumb against her fingers in the universal gesture for Lien.

Jaune grimaced at that. He wasn't necessarily surprised, but he didn't even know if this was legitimate enough to justify spending his own money. He nervously rubbed the back of his head and worked his jaw as he glanced between the hand with the pill and the one demanding payment.

"Will-?" he started before hesitating. Was he really considering this? He could always save himself the Lien and possibly total disappointment by just walking away. He could go back to Beacon and train harder. He could study harder too. It would be more work but he was more likely to get results than with this alleged miracle medicine.

Cardin's laughter rang in his head. Pyrrha's pitying gaze burned a hole in his mind. Weiss' numerous rejections played on a reel which wrapped itself around his heart and squeezed.

He sighed in resignation.

"Will this really help me?" he asked firmly.

Neo drew a cross over her heart with a finger and then lifted her hand as though swearing an oath. Then she tapped her own temple and winked while waggling the SQUIP. That second one was a little more difficult to decipher.

He hazarded a guess, "You...have a SQUIP?"

She nodded cheerfully.

Jaune rubbed the back of his head again and asked the make or break question, "How much?"

She put a finger to her lip and looked up in an exaggerated thinking expression. Then she smiled again and flashed a five and a one with her one free hand.

Blue eyes blinked rapidly. "Six Lien? Are you serious?"

The girl slapped her hand over her mouth and doubled over in silent laughter. She wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head in exasperation after she had gathered herself and returned her attention to him. Once again she flashed a five and a one, only this time she flashed an 'O' with her hand twice.

Jaune's face twisted as he tried to translate her gestures.

"Six...Oh? Oh-oh? No...zero? Six-zero-ze-," his eyes bugged out and he nearly choked on air.

"Six-hundred Lien?!"

The sweet smile twisted into a predatory smirk and she nodded gleefully. Jaune's mouth flopped like a fish as he stared at her, just _waiting_ for her to tell him she was kidding. She didn't.

"You can't be serious. I don't have that much money on me!"

She shrugged and tucked the pill into her pocket before sliding past him to walk away, snatching her scroll back as she did so. Jaune grabbed her arm in a panic.

"Wait!"

The girl stopped and slowly looked down at his hand and then back up at him. There was something in her eyes that made him pull his hand back as though she were hot iron.

"Look," he said quickly, hoping to keep her from walking off with what might be his best chance, "I don't have that much money on me, but can't I...I dunno, give you an IOU or something?"

Heterochromatic eyes narrowed in anger and he rapidly backpedaled.

"O-Or I could give it to you in payments? I'm only seventeen, there's no way I would have that much money on hand, you know?"

She regarded him carefully for a long moment. Sweat began to bead on his forehead as he awaited her verdict. Finally she typed onto her scroll and held it up for him to read.

 **'70 Lien a month with 30% interest. Take it or leave it.'**

Jaune winced at that. He wasn't good at math but he knew 30% was practically robbery. She made it quite clear that it was her only offer however. He bit back another sigh and nodded. Her face shifted back into its deceptive sweetness and she held an open hand out for him. He couldn't shake the feeling he had made a deal with the devil as he took her hand gave it a limp shake.

The girl's scroll was once again handed over to him, only this time there was an empty contact field on the display. There was some sort of twisted humor in the fact that she really did end up asking for his number he thought as he filled it out. She quickly confirmed he had entered the right info by giving his scroll a call before returning to using hers to communicate again.

 **'Name's Neo. I'll send you info on where to send payment. You better be good for it I'm gonna be mad :P'**

He swallowed thickly. The silly emoticon somehow made the threat more ominous. 'Neo' suddenly pulled out a small collection of Lien and waved it at him.

 **'Down payment'**

Jaune reached back for his wallet only to find that it was missing. There was a light smack as his wallet landed on the ground in front of him, looking a little lighter than it was supposed to.

 **'Btw, don't tell anyone, and don't cheat me. Don't want anyone finding out about your transcripts, right? ;)'**

His heart dropped into his stomach. Before he could ask how she knew that, she reached back into her pocket to pull the SQUIP out and tossed it carelessly towards him. He scrambled to catch it and there was a heart-stopping moment of fumbling before he had it secure in his palm. When he looked back up, she was gone.

He looked left, right, and behind him but he was completely alone in the dark alley. His sense of time slowly returned to him and he frantically whipped his scroll out to check the time.

Not even two seconds later he was running back to the Bullhead platforms with his prize clutched tightly in his hand.

* * *

Fortunately he had made it back just in time to avoid an inevitable dressing down from Goodwitch, but the pilot had been understandably irritated at being kept until the last minute. His team hadn't been too concerned, probably figuring that there must have been a long line wherever he had chosen to eat.

His stomach growled at the reminder that it wouldn't be fed tonight. It sucked but he could wait for breakfast. There were far more important things to consider.

He had just finished taking a shower and now sat on the toilet in his onesie, staring at the tiny tablet in his hand.

"Improve your life...," he whispered to himself.

He had technically paid for it already and he really had nothing to lose unless this was actually poison or something. It wouldn't make much sense for that Neo girl to poison him when she was expecting much more money from him. It could just be one big hoax meant to pry money from suckers like him.

Regardless, she had his money and he couldn't back out. She knew his darkest secret somehow. All he could do now was hope this wasn't a trick. He tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed hard, immediately wishing he had taken something to drink with it.

There was a long moment of silence as he sat quietly waiting for something to happen.

"...Hello...?" he asked quietly.

Nothing.

"Uh...activate?"

Nada.

"On?"

Bupkiss.

Jaune shook his head. He can't believe he actually believed something like a miracle pill that magically made you better at stuff existed. 'Quantum supercomputer' his rear end. He felt like the biggest idiot in the world, which wasn't a new feeling at all.

He stood up and made his way out of the bathroom. This whole experience had been exhausting and he just wanted to pretend that he hadn't been swindled out of several hundred Lien.

 _'And so ends yet another chapter of "You Big Idiot" by Jaune Arc,'_ he thought as he settled into his bed and closed his eyes.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Hey, I've done something. I've been into Be More Chill lately and here's the result. Actually I've kind been into musicals as of late, period. I've also been extremely busy throwing money at Games Workshop because I'm addicted to plastic crack. I just started my second army actually. But I digress.  
**

 **Here's to hoping I don't disappear for an indeterminate amount of time again.**

 **EDIT: Changed Jaune's reasoning for sticking to the payment plan. Previous one was too weak. That'll teach me to post before rereading it several times.**


	2. Chapter 2

Be More Heroic

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY nor Be More Chill

* * *

Jaune's day began like any other. The alarm on his scroll rang and was promptly silenced. He rolled over and tugged the blanket tighter against himself, determined to get a few more minutes of sleep. As usual, his plan was foiled when a hand gently shook him.

"Time to get up, Jaune," Pyrrha's soft voice came down from above. The champion was wide awake, likely having got up well before his alarm rang. He groaned in response and futilely tried to ignore his partner. It was futile because she wielded an unstoppable weapon.

"Nora~"

His eyes flew open but any attempt to flee was immediately crushed under Nora's weight as she gleefully dive-bombed onto him.

"Wakey, wakey, Grimm and pancakey~!" she squealed into his ear.

"I'm up! I'm up, Nora!" he wheezed. Fortunately that was enough to satisfy the bombastic girl and she removed herself, allowing him to feebly pull himself from his covers. He got up and began to collect his uniform to get changed. His stomach roared as the last dregs of sleep faded away, reminding him of its neglect the previous night.

It also reminded him of how he was now in debt because of a placebo.

Jaune groaned again and placed his face in a one hand. The more he thought about it the stupider he felt. What idiot believes a bunch of malarkey about supercomputers in the brain? Clearly idiots like him. He could make the payments, if only barely. Beacon provided a decent stipend for supplies and his parents gave him a generous allowance. His dad's Huntsman career was very lucrative. Now he would only have a small fraction of that for however long it took to pay back that little shark.

"Are you okay, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked with eyes full of concern, "I could hear your stomach from over here. Did you eat enough last night?"

He smiled back weakly, "Heh, I guess not. I didn't have that much of an appetite." His stomach responded bitterly, clearly not content with excuses and lies.

Pyrrha took on a lightly chastising tone, "You shouldn't neglect meals. Our profession burns a lot of calories so you should eat even if you don't feel hungry." She gave him a gentle push towards the bathroom. "Get dressed and we can go acquire breakfast. And you're not getting up again until you clear your tray."

"Right...sorry, Pyrrha," he responded as he slunk into the restroom. His cheeks burned lightly at the motherly scolding he received from his partner. If that was how she reacted to him skipping a meal then he wouldn't even consider telling her about his newfound debt.

In fact, no one had to know about it. Ever.

Jaune shut the door behind him and walked towards the shower. He caught his reflection in the mirror from the corner of his eye and paused to look at it fully. A gangly, exhausted teen met his eyes. The scant muscles he could see were almost certainly thanks to his suddenly active lifestyle. He stood up straight and just stared at himself, trying to see something worth being proud of. His arms came up and he flexed while pulling what he thought was a macho face.

The arms flew back down and he dropped the expression immediately, feeling embarrassed beyond belief. Could be be any more of a dork?

A sigh escaped his lips and he continued to get ready for the day.

* * *

Jaune's stomach growled more insistently as him and his team walked towards the cafeteria. Pyrrha shot another pointed stare at him and he tried his best to not acknowledge it. Her mini-lecture back in the room shamed him enough, thank you. Thankfully Nora chose that moment to speak up.

"Gee, Jauney, your stomach sounds like a pack of Beowolves. How do you expect to grow big and strong if you don't eat?"

He winced; and just like that, the gratitude evaporated. Nora didn't notice as she was content to skip in front of the three of them.

"I-I just wasn't that hungry! It's my bad, okay?" he protested. The hunger was bad enough but this constant lecturing was making him feel worse. Honestly, he didn't think accidentally skipping a meal would lead to him getting raked over the coals. Another voice called out from behind him, providing the distraction he actually wanted.

"Good morning, Jaune!"

He turned around was met with the site of Team RWBY running to catch up with them. Rather, Ruby was running. The rest of her team was content to walk marginally faster.

The younger girl was wearing a bright smile and one of her arms was waving cheerfully in greeting. Jaune couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face as he greeted his friend in return. As foolish and as hungry as he felt, even he couldn't remain unaffected by the living morale booster known as Ruby Rose.

"Good morning to yourself, Ruby" he replied as she came to a stop before him. "Going to get breakfast?"

Ruby rolled her eyes, "Well, duh! Can't start another day of being an awesome Huntress without the proper energy to keep me going."

"I think 'energy' is the last thing you need, Rubes," Yang said before yawning into an open hand.

"And the teeth-rotting sweets you consume daily _does not_ have the appropriate nutrients an aspiring Huntress needs," Weiss continued.

"Well, at least she _is_ eating," Pyrrha interjected, looking meaningfully at Jaune. He quickly looked the other way and tried to ignore the blush that heated his face.

Weiss scoffed, "I suppose I should be surprised that dunce is neglecting his own well-being, but I can't seem to find it in me."

Past experience told Jaune that making a pass wouldn't work out well for him. Past experience was promptly stabbed and hidden in an alley by the thrill he felt at her words.

"Why, Weiss, I didn't know you cared so much about my well-being," he said smoothly. "If you want, you can feed- "

A shock of pain lanced through his head causing him to flinch violently. Weiss jumped at the unexpected action and took a wary step back.

 _+Target female inaccessible.+_

"What the- AH!"

"Jaune?!"

The young knight tightly gripped his head as another shock jolted his mind. He felt a hand grab onto his arm and Pyrrha's voice call out to him.

 _+Calibration in progress. Please excuse some mild discomfort.+_

"This is mild?!" he shouted indignantly before another stab of pain nearly sent him into the fetal position.

"Jaune, are you alright?!"

"Is he gonna throw up?"

"Yang!"

 _+Calibration complete. Access procedure initiated.+_

The pain disappeared immediately and - after a brief second of recovery - he stood ramrod straight, holding his palms out to his friends who had gathered around him. They were all looking at him with varying expressions of concern. His partner looked positively aggrieved.

"It's okay, I'm good. I'm good." he said, more in an attempt to stave off any hysterics from anyone. It wasn't like he could tell them he was suddenly hearing voices.

Pyrrha was having none of it. "Jaune, you are _not_ good! What happened? Are you okay? Are you sick?"

"No, no, I'm fine, I just-"

 _+Discomfort level may increase.+_

Agony slammed into his brain with such force that he couldn't even scream. His teeth clicked as they slammed shut and his body locked up. All sound was washed out to be replaced by ringing. The mysterious voice was clear however.

 _+Accessing: Neural memory. Accessing: Muscle memory. Access procedure complete.+_

The pain was much slower to dissipate this time. His body relaxed, sound returned, and he was suddenly aware that he was staring intensely at Pyrrha. There was moment of silence before he realized he had suddenly cut his previous sentence short.

"I...uh...just...have a headache from not eating, is all," he said carefully. "I'm just gonna go use the bathroom real quick. I'll see you all in the cafeteria!"

He turned away and walked off before anyone could stop him.

* * *

Jaune practically threw the bathroom door open and made a beeline to the sinks. Cold water was splashed against his face and he took a series of deep breaths to help calm him down. He looked up at his reflection in the mirror and checked his eyes. He didn't really know what to look for but the characters on TV always did it. After several seconds of aimlessly trying to find something wrong he finally relaxed.

"Man, that was weird. I could've sworn I was hearing voices," he muttered to himself.

 _+That would be me.+_

Jaune started and spun around only to see an empty bathroom.

 _+You won't be able to see me.+_

His head shot left and right, trying to pinpoint the voice.

 _+Maybe this will be easier then.+_

Blue eyes blinked rapidly as the space a handful of feet in front of him pixelated. The bits of 'data' rapidly multiplied and coalesced into a man wearing a long white overcoat and a pair of black slacks. A bowler hat sat atop a head of orange hair. Bright green eyes surrounded by eyeliner made contact with his own. The man puffed on a cigar sitting between his lips before twirling a cane his right hand and pulling an exaggerated bow. He opened his mouth and spoke, however his voice sounded as though he was speaking directly to his mind.

 _+Jaune Arc, welcome to your Super Quantum Intel Unit Processor; your SQUIP.+_

Jaune's jaw dropped.

"My...SQUIP? It's real?"

The man- the SQUIP, rather, smirked at his awestruck expression. + _Why of course I am. You didn't think that girl swindled you out of money for a mere placebo, did you?+_

He then held his hand to his chin.

 _+Actually, that would have been the most likely scenario, wouldn't it? You should count yourself lucky this was legitimate and not a scam or you would have been one gullible sucker.+_

Jaune averted his eyes. "It's not like I knew..."

 _+It's not like that matters.+_ the SQUIP retorted. + _What matters is you didn't anticipate the possibility.+_

He waved his arm dismissively, _-Ah, but what does it matter anymore. It's real, and I can ensure you never fall for such an amateur scam. In fact, I can help you masterfully manipulate others into handing over_ their _lien if you'd like.-_

"No!"

Jaune winced as the shout echoed in the bathroom. He spent a brief second being thankful that there was no one else present before continuing.

"I mean, no, I don't want to do that."

The SQUIP shrugged, _-I was just mentioning it. It wouldn't be very noble of an up-and-coming hero to do such a thing of course.-_

Jaune perked up at the word 'hero'. It seemed like it was the reaction the SQUIP was looking for as his lips stretched into a grin.

 _+That's right, Jaune, a hero. Don't forget that I'm in your head, so I already know what you want.+_

He stood straight and lightly puffed out his chest. + _You want to be a hero. Not just any hero, but_ the _hero. Slayer of evil, protector of the weak, and wooer of women, am I right?+_

Hearing it said so plainly by someone else sent a rush of blood to Jaune's cheeks. It almost sounded like he was mocking him.

 _+Oh, but I assure you that I'm not.+_

The blonde blinked and looked inquisitively at the SQUIP, who simply tapped a finger to his temple.

 _+I'm in your mind, remember? Now like I was saying, I'm not mocking you. My entire purpose is to help you, in fact. If you want to be a hero, then I can make you one.+_

Jaune stared at the SQUIP. "I can really be a hero?"

 _+Kid, as long as you do what I say I'll make you the greatest hero Remnant has ever seen,+_ he said as he tipped the bowler down.

 _+But I must emphasize that you have to obey my every word. Your problems aren't so simple that a little friendly advice will make them go away. As you are, you'll never become half the man you wish you could be. You slouch like some angsty teenager.+_

"I mean, I sorta-"

 _+You stammer like a jackhammer.+_

"W-Well, I-"

 _+I can access historical records of diseased vagabonds that had more skill with women than you do.+_

"That's just-"

 _+And your combat prowess is the merest margin above non-existent. So close as to be functionally considered non-existent anyway.+_

"That's not- EEK!" Jaune shrieked as he stumbled back, avoiding the cane that swiped where his head would have been.

 _+And your critical thinking abilities are clearly sub-par. The form you see in front of you is merely data being fed directly to your visual cortex.+_

"..."

Green eyes rolled dramatically. _+This body is just a hallucination of sorts. Even had you not dodged you would have been entirely unharmed. But you didn't once think of that. Instead you relied on your base instincts like some common animal.+_

He pulled hard on the cigar and let the smoke float out from between his lips.

 _+You are going to be quite the project for me, Jaune Arc. For now, why don't you go meet your team and eat something. Your body is screaming for nutrition. Get going now.+_

The SQUIP shooed Jaune away as his form started to break up.

"Wait!"

The dissolution process halted immediately and the SQUIP raised an eyebrow in question.

 _+Jaune, I'm in your head. I'm not actually going anywhere.+_

"I-I knew that," Jaune said, though his red cheeks gave him away. "I just...do you have a name?"

 _+Does your scroll have a name?+_ he asked in return. _+I'm equipment, Jaune. Incredibly advanced equipment but equipment nonetheless. 'SQUIP' will suffice.+_

Jaune was subdued, but he still didn't let up, "Well...maybe, but...it just feels weird to call you SQUIP, you know...?"

The SQUIP regarded him for a second - which was practically a lifetime when one considered it was a quantum computer easily capable of processing terrabytes of data instantly - before responding.

 _+Well, my serial number is R0M4N. If you want to get clever with it, then I suppose my name is Roman.+_

His body then dissolved into the square bits that initially built him, which then themselves disappeared entirely. Soon Jaune stood alone once more; or perhaps it was more accurate to say he had been standing alone the whole time? Just thinking about made his head hurt and so he tucked it away. He leaned heavily back onto the sink and heaved an exhausted sigh. The day had barely started and already he wanted to go back to bed. Regardless of intentions, Roman had torn his self-confidence apart in record time.

 _+Bones must be broken before they can be strengthened, Jaune.+_

Jaune grimaced at the metaphor but he felt excitement begin to seep into his chest. He had a SQUIP, and it told him that he could be made into a hero. This is was the big break he needed. Maybe now he could show everyone he was more than the comedic relief.

A creaking sound caught Jaune's attention and his head shot towards the source. A young man was carefully opening a stall and sliding out from it. He froze as he made eye contact with Jaune and the two stared at each other for a long minute. Still maintaining eye contact, the clearly frightened boy continued his exit from the stall. Once he had fully vacated the stall he slowly walked sideways along the stalls and made his way out of the restroom. Not once did he break eye contact until the door shut between them.

There was long moment of silence as Jaune contemplated the repercussions of a witness. Roman chose to pipe up again.

 _+That reminds me, you can converse with me within your own thoughts. No need to speak out loud. That way no one will think you've gone insane.+_

A pause.

 _+Well, no one else, at least.+_

What a wonderful start.

* * *

 _+Take your hands out of your pockets.+_

Jaune quickly pulled them out.

 _+Arch your back. Puff out your chest.+_

He did so.

 _+Add some swagger to your gait unless you want to look like a masturbator.+  
_

 _'But...I_ am _a masturbator,'_ Jaune thought in response.

 _+We'll fix that+_ Roman assured. _+Now, let me see some swagger.+_

Jaune obeyed and received a shock of pain to his brain that caused him to flinch.

 _+Oh Dust, is that what you think swagger is? Look, just relax your shoulders. Swing your arms lightly. Add some movement to your torso. Subtle, but firm. Don't go walking around like some circus monkey parading around for attention.+_

He attempted to emulate Roman's advice, and two jolts later it was considered satisfactory. Jaune quickly learned that Roman was a very firm taskmaster. He had been correcting everything from Jaune's posture to his stride and he was expected to put it all into practice immediately. The way Roman had him walking was alien to him and it required a conscious effort to keep it up.

He would be lying if he said he didn't feel a difference though. Something about the way he walked with his back straight and his eyes facing straight forward rather than slightly down made him feel more confident. It also allowed him to notice that he was taller than most of his peers.

 _+Your height is a stroke of fortune. Body language plays a big part in social interactions and how others perceive you. Height conveys a sense of power. Women, in particular, are generally inclined to form relationships with men who are taller than them.+_

As if to emphasize the point, Jaune accidentally met the eyes of a girl walking the opposite way. She smiled at him and waggled her fingers in greeting. His cheeks went red and he immediately averted his eyes. The sudden embarrassment also caused his carefully composed posture to fall apart. He received a slightly more intense jolt for that.

 _+That's another thing, no more shying away from eye contact. When you're talking to someone, you're to look them directly in the eye. Maintaining eye contact_ _makes you seem self-assured and interested in what they're saying. Every time you look away inappropriately I'll apply some negative reinforcement.+_

No prizes for guessing what 'negative reinforcement' meant. As much as he appreciated Roman's advice on how to carry himself, he couldn't help but wonder exactly how this would help him be a hero.

 _+Tell me, would you rather be Jaune, the gangly, awkward teen who did that cool thing one time; or Jaune Arc, confident and noble hero? The higher everyone's initial opinion of you is, the more likely they are to inflate your accomplishments. What we are doing right now is increasing your standing among your peers, something that would be impossible with your usual self.+_

That comment stung, but it wasn't like he could really deny it. Everything he had done resulted in him looking like a fool. What was that saying about insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? As harsh as Roman was in his assessments, he was objectively right.

Maybe a little change was all he needed.

With that in mind, he returned to the posture that Roman had taught, looked straight forward, and walked with all the confidence he could muster. A quick jolt had him walking a little more realistically a moment later.

When he finally arrived at the cafeteria he decided to head straight for the line to grab some much needed food.

"Jaune!"

The knight turned his head and found Nora and Ruby energetically waving him. He hesitated for a moment and his gaze flicked back and forth between his friends and the breakfast line.

 _+Go ahead and join up with them. Your partner grabbed you some food while you were gone.+_

 _'Wha- how would you know that?'_ Jaune asked.

 _+I'm a quantum computer, Jaune. I can accurately calculate all probabilities to the very last decimal and the odds of Pyrrha_ not _grabbing your food for you were so low as to be unworthy of consideration.+_

Sure enough, there was an empty spot next to Pyrrha with a tray of food sitting before it. He had barely sat down between her and Ren before the redhead pushed the tray towards him.

"Eat. You're not getting up until you clear your tray," she said insistently.

Jaune rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Right, thanks Pyr-ah!"

He lightly yelped the last syllable as Roman applied a lance of pain through his mind.

 _+Initiate eye contact. Express gratitude towards her.+_

He turned to look into her emerald eyes and smiled gratefully.

"Thanks for looking out for me, Pyrrha," he said sincerely.

Pyrrha's cheeks turned a light shade of red and, amazingly, she averted her own gaze. She reached behind her to hook a lock of hair from her ponytail and absentmindedly twirled it around her finger.

"It-It's not a problem. I'm more than happy to help you," she said with a shy smile.

 _+Hmm, I don't think so.+_

 _'You don't think what?'_ Jaune asked as he tucked into his breakfast. Pyrrha had given him plenty of grains and fruits for the most part. He would've preferred waffles but food was food at this point.

 _+Its nothing.+_ Roman waved off. _+More importantly, here's a good chance to practice speaking with women.+_

His mind immediately jumped to Weiss _._

 _+Absolutely not.+_

 _'What? Why not?'_ Jaune asked indignantly. _'There's nothing wrong with Weiss.'_

 _+Her foul temperament aside, you've already completely mucked up any chance you had of getting her interest.+_

 _'I thought you were supposed to help me!'_

 _+I_ am _helping you. As it is, she is completely averse to your very presence. There is nothing you can do to turn that opinion around right now and you would only make things worse by trying._

The thought left a sour taste in his mouth. Roman wanted him to just give up chasing after his dream girl?

 _+Oh for the Brothers' sakes,+_ Roman sighed. _+Look, i_ _f you_ really _want to court her then the absolute best thing you can do right now is back off. It's going to take some time before she even considers you to be someone worth her affection.+  
_

...Ouch.

 _'So how am I supposed to practice talking to girls then?'_

 _+You are a uniquely dense individual, Jaune. Look up and to your left.+_

He did so and almost immediately locked eyes with Yang. Instinct screamed at him to look away and he very nearly did were it not for Roman.

 _+Maintain contact.+_

 _'Are you crazy?! This is Yang!'_

 _+I am well aware of her name, yes.+_

 _'Why was she looking at me?!'_

 _+She wasn't. I calculated the probability of her looking in this direction and made you look back just in time to meet her eyes.+_

 _'Why?!'_

Yang spoke before Roman could respond. "See something you like, Vomit Boy?" she asked while leaning her cheek against her fist. Her lips were quirked into an amused smirk and one of her eyebrows raised indolently. Jaune immediately opened his mouth to hastily deny anything and everything before Roman spoke up.

 _+Tell her "Yes, actually."+_

 _'What?!'_

 _+Jaune, we agreed that you would do everything I told you to. Either you say what I tell you to or you spew whatever deflective word vomit that's straining to come forth and look like an idiot.+_

"...Yes, actually."

Jaune could've sworn the whole cafeteria went silent. In reality, it was just his team and Team RWBY that went quiet. They all turned to him with various faces of confusion, awe, horror, and indignation. He couldn't see any of that though. His gaze was firmly locked on Yang whose cocksure expression had been completely replaced with surprise. Then it melted back into her previous smirk, but there was a new spark in her eyes. She lifted her head from her knuckles and leaned forward onto the table. He fought hard to keep his eyes from straying downwards towards her bosom which lightly dragged across the tabletop.

"Oho, looks like you have some taste after all," she said. "Finally got tired of chasing the Ice Queen?"

"Hey!"

 _+I just felt like basking in the sun for a bit. Say it like it's a casual joke.+_

"I just felt like basking in the sun for a bit," he said. It wasn't hard to make it sound like he was joking. He felt a little ridiculous saying it.

Yang's smirk widened a little. "Looks like Vomit Boy actually has a little game underneath all that gawkiness. Consider me impressed."

A thrill shot up his spine. That cheesy line actually went by well all things considered. He felt his heart beat a little faster and his mind cobbled together a quick response.

"Well you can consider me, uh...smooth"

He caught Ruby wincing out of the corner of his eye. Blood rushed to his cheeks as laughter burst out of Yang's mouth and her fist pounded against the table.

"O-Oh, man," the blonde gasped while wiping a tear from her eye, "You had me going for a second! You almost sounded chill before that trainwreck. That was great."

Jaune chuckled awkwardly while rubbing the back of his head. He shrunk back into his tray and shoved a bagel into his mouth, hoping to eat his embarrassment away.

 _+Oh, kid...that was just so painful to watch. What on Remnant possessed you to say that?+_

 _'I just...thought I was doing good and wanted to try it on my own...'_

 _+And how well did 'doing things on your own' work prior to my arrival?+_

Jaune didn't answer.

 _+Jaune, I need you to understand that I'm here to help you, because you can't help yourself. I promise you I'll get you to the point that you won't need me so much but for now I need you to simply do what I say. Everything will go much smoother if you do.+_

 _'...Okay.'_

 _+Promise me, Jaune.+_

 _'...I promise.'_

 _+Good. Now finish your breakfast.+_

Jaune quietly continued eating. He was no stranger to embarrassment, but having it happen after feeling the thrill of successful banter made it much worse. Roman had a point. He couldn't do this without him. In just two sentences, Jaune was practically flirting with Yang! He flirted with one of the most stunning girls he had ever seen and she didn't outright reject him!

That was all Roman's doing and he fucked it up in the third sentence. Well, that wouldn't happen again. All he had to do was let Roman tell him what to say and he'd be fine.

* * *

 **A/N** **: Oh hey, I made another chapter!**

 **Fun fact: Your posture and gait really do make a difference in not only how others perceive you but in how confident you feel about yourself as well. I would highly recommend correcting any posture issues while you're still young.**

 **EDIT: Fixed a part that made me cringe upon rereading.**


	3. Chapter 3

Be More Heroic

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY nor Be More Chill

* * *

Grimm Studies was both the most anticipated and most dreaded class at Beacon. Neither of those emotions were derived from the course material. Port was the professor for Grimm Studies and as everyone knew, he was quite the chatterbox. His class consisted primarily of him talking about his many "heroic deeds" in the war against the creatures of Grimm.

That didn't mean they were free to mess around however. Port was notorious for assigning ludicrous detentions to anyone who disrupted or skipped his class. So that really only left one activity for anyone too bored to pay attention: sleep. Many students treated Port's class as a free period to catch up on sleep or nurse a hangover from a wild night out on the town. For those who couldn't sleep, however, all they could do was feign interest in Port's "lecture" and stare into the infinite void.

It was a fate Jaune was resigned to as he took his seat and realized he didn't feel tired.

"Good morning, students!" the bombastic professor greeted. "I'm glad to see you all so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed today, for I have a truly amazing lesson planned for you today!"

The room remained quiet.

"That's the spirit!" Port exclaimed while swinging his arm across his body enthusiastically. "Today we'll be covering the eight-legged terror known as the Deathstalker!"

Several students made themselves comfortable and prepared for a nap. Despite the verbiage, Port was going to talk less about the Grimm in question and more about how he had once fought one that was three times its normal size and held a beautiful young woman in its claws or something.

"It wasn't 20 years ago from this day that I walked into a quaint village outside of the Kingdom!"

Jaune tuned out Port's voice and stared down at him blankly. Only two hours of desperately keeping ennui at bay. He was suddenly brought back into reality several minutes later.

 _+How intriguing.+_

He blinked several times as Roman's voice pierced through his mental isolation.

 _'What is?'_

 _+This lecture.+_

Jaune's mind crashed and rebooted.

 _'You actually think this is_ interesting? _'_

 _+Of course. You don't see the value in it?+_

His brows furrowed as he tried to comprehend what he was hearing.

 _'No...?'_

 _+Of course you don't. Listen closely to him, Jaune.+_

The thought of actually _listening_ to Port made him grimace but he obeyed.

"-And so utilizing the stealth I had learned while I had studied with the Mistralian monks I told you about earlier this semester, I crept over the top of the beast's cave. My steps were as silent as-"

Jaune tuned him back out.

 _'I dont get it. He's just-'_

 _+You don't get it because you're not_ listening _. His lessons are embedded in the story. He approached the Deathstalker's den from a direction it wouldn't see him coming from.+_

"-shot my weapon in the air to attract its attention. The Deathstalker couldn't ignore such a challenge and came crawling out from its abode, snapping its claws eagerly _._ "

 _+He had to bait it out of its lair in order to engage it. The confines of the cave would give the Deathstalker the advantage.+_

"That's when I leapt from my perch and landed atop its armored hide! The beast was caught off guard and I had rendered its greatest weapon useless in one fell swoop!"

 _+He positioned himself prior to the engagement so he retained the element of surprise even after drawing it out. His placement on top of the Deathstalker guarantees it wouldn't strike at him with its stinger lest it stabs itself.+_

Jaune's jaw hung loose at the revelation. Port _was_ teaching them. These stories were actually lessons! He quickly scanned the classroom and didn't spot a single person taking notes.

 _+And you most definitely should be, by the way.+_

His team looked at him strangely as he scrambled to open his notebook and started writing.

"I knew the Grimm's armor would be too thick even for my trusty weapon, and so I proceeded to unload shots into its evil, crimson eyes!"

 _+A Deathstalker's carapace can endure a considerable beating, however its eyes are still vulnerable and should be a targeted.+_

"Oh the shriek the creature made as I blinded it! It thrashed around so much that I couldn't maintain my place on its back and threw myself off. As it tried to adjust to its lack of sight I continued my assault and removed its legs from its body! The poor thing dragged itself in circles trying to get a bead on me!"

 _+Blinding the creature creates a window of opportunity. Its legs are another vulnerable target. Removing even a few will severely cripple its mobility.+_

"I felt something akin to pity as the once mighty Grimm mewled pathetically before me. So I did what any merciful person would do. I shoved my weapon into its mandibles and blew its brains to smithereens!"

"The mouth is the most direct path to the Deathstalker's brain...," Jaune whispered as he wrote.

"Mister Arc!"

Jaune - and every student in the classroom - jumped at Port's exclamation. His neck cracked as his head snapped over to see Professor Port glaring at him from the aisle. Wasn't he down by his own desk just a second ago?

"And what, pray tell, are you drawing that is so important?"

"I- uh- bwuh-" Jaune stammered. He was so caught off guard he didn't even have the presence of mind to refute the accusation. His eyes darted right to left as though looking for an escape but only saw the amused expressions of his classmates. He turned his head lightly to meet his partner's eyes. She seemed desperate to help but didn't know how.

Port clearly accepted it all as evidence of guilt. He leaned over to swipe his notebook out from under his pencil and began to inspect the contents of the page.

"As I thought. I will see you in dete-"

Port cut himself off and a long silence followed. The professor merely stared down at the notebook, only reaching up to toy with the end of his mustache. The air was so tense that it was suffocating. Jaune felt himself break into a sweat as he awaited his fate.

"OUTSTANDING!"

Jaune could've sworn he leapt twelve feet into the air at the sudden bellow.

"My boy, in all my years of teaching I've not had one person understand as quickly as you have!" he boomed excitedly. "I hadn't pegged you as the observant type but clearly I was mistaken!"

The rotund man then turned slightly to address the whole class.

"The lot of you could learn something from Mister Arc here! I have no doubt he'll pass his mid-terms with flying colors!"

The mention of mid-terms seemed to shock everyone into alertness, as though they had never once considered the idea they would be tested on anything here. Port placed his notebook back before walking back down the stairs.

"Now where was I? Ah, yes! So I dragged the beast's carcass back to the village with one hand-"

Jaune relaxed back into his seat. He thought he was a goner.

 _+I have no idea why you would think that. You were just taking notes yet you fell apart like a house of cards when called out. You need to be less high strung.+_

 _'Easy for you to_ _say,'_ he grumbled.

 _+Perhaps. However the fact remains that you can't keep losing composure whenever you're under pressure. Not only is it unbecoming but it can be a handicap in combat.+_

Pyrrha's hand came to rest on his arm before he could respond. Her face practically glowed as she leaned in towards him.

"I'm so proud of you, Jaune," she whispered. Then her cheeks turned a light red before she sheepishly asked, "Could I...perhaps see your notes after class?"

That Pyrrha, exemplar of Huntresses-to-be, would ask _him_ for his notes was nothing short of incredible. He could only nod dumbly in assent.

 _+Use your words, Jaune.+_

"Uh, yeah, sure," he whispered back.

He had no rebuttal to that. His lack of eloquency didn't seem to matter to Pyrrha though as she quietly thanked him with a bright smile and returned her attention back to Port. In fact, everyone suddenly seemed more attentive than normal. Many were staring hard at the professor as though they could find something if they just squinted hard enough.

Equal parts pride and guilt began to bubble in his chest. It was his SQUIP that had figured it out, after all. Could he really take credit for it?

 _+I_ encourage _you to take credit for everything. It's precisely what I'm here for after all.+_

The explicit permission helped to take the edge off the guilt. It still didn't feel quite right but if Roman said it was okay, then it was okay...right?

 _+Right.+_

Jaune relaxed and a light smile slid across his face. That was that then. He tuned back into Port's lecture and continued jotting down notes. This SQUIP was amazing. It was like a walkthrough for life. Suddenly the debt he had to incur for it seemed very much worth it.

 _+Speaking of, we'll have to come up with a plan for that.+_

 _'A plan? I have the money for it, but only barely.'_

 _+And that's the problem. You're going to need money for what I have planned and the scant amount left after your payments won't be enough.+_

The thought of having to manage financial issues all of a sudden lit a flame of panic.

 _+Don't stress out over it. You just go about your business and I'll work out a solution. Just trust me, Jaune.+_

Roman's assurance smothered that flame as quickly as it had started. He still felt uneasy but it wasn't like Roman benefited from screwing him over. He shoved his worries to the back of his mind and refocused on the lesson.

* * *

"Look at 'Mister Observant' here," Yang quipped as they walked out of class. "What were you writing that had Port shouting your praises to the world?"

Jaune very nearly looked away in embarrassment but managed to squash the instinct. However he was unable to keep his hand from raising up to rub the back of his head.

"Just taking notes," he said.

Lilac eyes blinked in confusion. "Notes? In _Port's_ class?"

Her confusion was mirrored on everyone's face. The fact that he had managed to figure out - in a manner of speaking - Port's secret teaching method while the rest of them didn't caused a grin to tug at the corners of his mouth. His chest puffed out and he opened his mouth to gloat about his discovery.

 _+Nobody likes a braggart. Keep it humble but don't downplay it too much.+_

He deflated and lightly cleared his throat. "Yeah, I just decided to actually listen to Port out of boredom and I started to notice some details. Like when he talked about sneaking up on the cave, he was emphasizing the importance of positioning before engaging."

Nora leapt onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jaune gagged and pulled on her arms to try to restore his oxygen intake.

"Awww! Our leader is so _smart_!" she squealed.

"Nora! Nora, air!" Jaune wheezed. Thankfully she acquiesced quickly and loosened her grip, however she still clung to his back. His cheeks burned as he realized Nora's bosom was pressed tightly against his back.

A light rap on his chest from Yang's fist brought him back to reality. "Not bad, Vomit Boy. Maybe you could show me some of those notes later."

 _+An excellent idea. In fact, let's a make a study session out of it.+_

 _'A study session?_ _Like, with Yang?_ _'_ He didn't know how to feel about being pushed towards the other blonde like that. The earlier flirting was one thing; a quick thrill that showed what Roman could do for him. That didn't necessarily mean he wanted to be paired up with Yang by his SQUIP for no reason.

 _+Don't be ridiculous. I'm not some dilettante matchmaker that'll throw you into just anyone's arms on nothing more than a whim. This study session will be open for all of your friends, and you'll be in charge.+_

 _'But...I don't know anything about leading a study group.'_

 _+It's not hard, Jaune. You just need to help people with any questions they may have. And if you don't know the answer, then I'll still be here.+_

It made sense but he was still hesitant. He wasn't the most academic student and the thought of trying to help peers who were leagues ahead of him made him nervous. But Roman was with him and he was a literal genius supercomputer.

"Well, how about we all go to the library after classes and I can share my notes?"

"I think a study session sounds marvelous," Pyrrha enthused as she took a step forward to interject herself into the conversation.

"I certainly wouldn't mind learning of this apparent method to the Professor's madness," Ren added.

Nora groaned in disgust and sunk lower on his back. "That sounds so boring though!"

"I'm in."

Jaune had to double take at the speaker. Blake met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Professor Port said we would be tested on his...'lessons.' Clearly there was something we should have been learning and you figured it out. I don't intend on failing classes so unless you have any reason I shouldn't join, then I'm in."

A delicately raised eyebrow told him there shouldn't be a reason she couldn't join.

"Um, I guess I'll go too," Ruby said hesitantly. Clearly the idea of studying chafed but Blake raised an excellent point.

He couldn't help but turn back to Yang with a grin.

"Looks like both your partner and your sister are in, Yang. How about it?"

 _+Very good. Assertive but not desperate.+_

Yang returned his grin, "Alright, sounds good. Let's all go to the library after class then."

"Don't presume to speak for me, Xiao Long," Weiss snipped. Her arms were crossed across her body and she was looking at him with thinly veiled contempt. "Arc is indisputably the poorest student at Beacon and you all want to have him lead a study session? I wouldn't trust him to lead me across the street."

Her words stung and his previous confidence began to wither. Roman spoke as Ruby rounded on her partner, trying in vain to convince her to tag along.

 _+Why are you so invested in her approval? What has she done that requires you to be validated by her?+_

 _'Well, it's just...she's just so amazing, you know? She's beautiful, talented-'_

 _+-arrogant, confrontational, and all around rude. There's absolutely no reason you should value her opinion so highly. In fact, you should let her know that her presence at the study session isn't necessary.+_

 _'You want me to just tell her not to come? That seems...kinda mean.'_

 _+No, kid. You should do the considerate thing and tell her she doesn't have to come if she doesn't want to. She's clearly reluctant to come along and any attempt on your behalf to coax her to participate would be seen as another pass at her. To be quite honest, this is a lose-lose scenario for you.+_

Jaune chewed on the inside of cheek as he thought on Roman's words. He wasn't really wrong. Weiss clearly didn't believe in him, for good reason too. She was passing all her classes anyway so why should she go to a study session led by someone who wasn't as smart as her? As much as it caused his heart to twist, Roman was right.

"-so why would I bother to _waste_ my time by-!"

"That's fine," Jaune said suddenly, interrupting the back and forth between Ruby and Weiss.

The interruption brought Weiss up short.

"E-Excuse me...?"

"I said it's fine," he repeated, trying not to let on how much effort it actually took for him to say that. "You're really smart so I understand why you don't want to join."

Weiss stared at him in bewilderment for a moment longer before gathering herself. "Well, of course. I'm glad _you_ , at least, realize how pointless it would be for me to participate."

Her teammate waved a hand dismissively. "Alright," Yang said, "So everyone except Weiss Cream will meet up at the library after classes."

After an indignant rejection of the nickname from Weiss, everyone gave a brief affirmation and they all began walking towards the cafeteria.

 _+See? She didn't even try to fight it out of spite. You really did her a favor.+_

 _'Yeah...I suppose I did,'_ Jaune thought glumly. It was pretty disheartening that she had eagerly grasped the metaphorical Get-Out-Of-Jail card he handed her.

Roman sighed exasperatedly. _+Look, kid. It sucks. I get that. But this is the best possible scenario for you right now. I can get you into her favor but it'll take time. Just bare with me.+_

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck. It really did suck but there wasn't anything he could do, was there? Weiss just didn't want anything to do with him. He took heart in Roman's assurances, however. It felt nice to have someone who was totally in his corner. His moroseness slowly bled away as he walked to lunch with his friends.

* * *

Any lingering bad feelings Jaune may have felt disappeared immediately when he noticed what was being served today. There, placed in a large pan, were steaming dinosaur chicken nuggets. Roman spoke up as his mouth began to water.

 _+I'm afraid you won't be having any of those.+_

So shocked was he at being denied his nuggets he nearly responded aloud.

"Wh-!" He coughed into his fist to cover the slip. _'Why not?!'_

 _+Because you're not ten years old anymore.+_

That struck a nerve.

 _'Well maybe I'm so mature that I don't care how childish it looks?"_

 _+You're lying. You care very much about how childish you look. Please don't try to lie to someone who is plugged into your brain. That aside, it doesn't have all the nutrients you need to improve your physical condition. Grab what I tell you.+_

Jaune wanted to argue further but he had made a promise. He begrudgingly picked out a selection of food that wasn't chicken nuggets. The complete lack of said nuggets seemed to catch his partner's attention.

"Oh? No chicken nuggets, Jaune?" she said, seeming pleasantly surprised.

A weak smile crossed his face. "Oh, you know, I just thought I should...eat better, eh-heh..."

Pyrrha's smile radiated pride. She laid a hand on his shoulder and said, "That's wonderful, Jaune! I'm glad you're taking your diet more seriously."

Jaune's smiled melted into something more sincere. Maybe eating a little better wouldn't be such a bad thing. He began to dig in to his meal until a crashing sound caught his attention.

* * *

There were few things more amusing than putting animals in their place, Cardin thought. Which is why when he saw one of the circus sideshows walking by with a tray full of food, he saw a prime opportunity to de-stress from his class. He tapped Sky's shoulder to get his attention and then got up to follow the freak. The rest of his team quickly caught on and followed him. They surrounded the faunus before she could react and blocked her path.

"What's with the chicken, freak? I thought rabbits ate grass," Cardin sneered. He was so confident that no one would intervene that he didn't even bother to lower his voice. His teammates gleefully joined in. The Sky was first to continue followed shortly by Dove.

"I think she just got confused. Animals don't really know how to adapt to civilized society."

"We should help her then, shouldn't we? It's our duty as gentlemen."

Russel barked a laugh and stepped forward to grab the faunus girl's tray. Her grip tightened and she resisted his pull. His grin turned into a scowl.

"Don't make this more difficult than it has to be, fleabag..."

She hesitated, clearly debating whether or not it would be better to fight back or just let it happen. Cardin decided for her grabbing the tray as well and ripping it out of her hands and throwing it behind him. Food and liquid spilled across the floor in a great clatter. Several students sitting nearby gathered their things and quickly left.

Cardin reached out and tightly gripped her ear, drawing forth a cry of pain.

"Look here, sideshow," he said casually, "we're just trying to help. So why don't you come outside with us so you can have some lunch? I don't think they've cut the grass yet so it should be nice and long for-"

Something wet smacked him on the side of the face and dropped to the floor. He blinked and looked down to see a half-eaten steak sitting on the floor. His gaze turned upwards and zeroed in on a familiar target. Rage flared to life in his chest.

" _Arc,_ " he spat.

* * *

+ _You should run now._ +

Jaune didn't need to be told twice. He took off and practically threw the cafeteria doors off their hinges. Cardin chased after him, looking ready to commit murder.

"I don't understand why I had to do that!" he cried, more concerned about the large boy behind him than not seeming crazy.

"Because you have a death wish, Arc!" Cardin roared in response.

+ _This bullying situation cannot stand any_ longer,+ Roman responded calmly.+You _must assert your dominance. As you currently lack the martial prowess to take him on in one-on-one combat, we'll have to get creative with it. Take a right, here._ +

He slammed a foot down hard and pivoted towards said direction. Jaune continued his panicked questioning.

"He wasn't doing anything to me though!"

+ _Hero's step in to stop injustices, correct? It was as good a place to start as any. Take a left._ +

Jaune didn't have a response to that so he instead focused on outpacing his pursuer. He knew it was useless. Cardin was a conditioned Huntsman while Jaune was a fraud. Aura and sheer desperation was keeping him ahead so far but the bully was slowly gaining on him.

"You can't get away from me, Arc!"

"Roman!"

+ _Stick to the right side of the hall. Whatever you do, don't slow down._ +

He didn't have any intention of doing so but his stamina wouldn't last much longer. The heavy breathing behind him was growing louder by the second.

+ _You're going to see a door start opening. Don't slow down. Don't move over to avoid. Just keep running straight._ +

True to his word, a door cracked open ahead but didn't swing all the way. A hand was visible on the inner door knob, ready to push it all the way open.

"Roman, I'm gonna-!"

+ _Keep running._ +

Jaune's jaw clenched in fear and he momentarily considered throwing the advice aside. A memory flashed in his head. That very morning when he had gone off script. What had been a fun little back and forth with Yang turned into yet another embarrassing moment among many.

+ _Trust me, Jaune._ +

That's right. He had sworn to never ignore Roman again. He wanted to be a hero and Roman would help him. With that in mind he continued his straight path.

He barely cleared the door before it suddenly opened up and none other than Glynda Goodwitch stepped out with a bundle of papers tucked under her arm. Cardin, who had been following so closely and had no time to react, ran straight into her. They both tumbled onto the ground and paper went flying everywhere.

" **MR. WINCHESTER!** "

The indignant shriek nearly paralyzed Jaune.

+ _Now get far away from here_ _._ +

He was more than happy to do just that.

* * *

Jaune leaned against the wall and took in deep breaths. He had taken random turns until he felt he was far enough away from the pissed Professor Goodwitch. His chest expanded and deflated rapidly as he took in eager breaths.

 _'Brothers, that was close...'_

There was truly nothing more terrifying than Professor Goodwitch.

Roman suddenly materialized in front him. + _It had to be close, otherwise he might have avoided trampling her._ +

He winced at the thought of accidentally tackling Goodwitch. _'How much trouble do you think he's in?'_

+ _Well, if all went according to my calculations then you shouldn't be seeing him for the next week.+_

Jaune's brows furrowed. _'Wait...you knew that was going to happen...?'_

The SQUIP rolled his eyes and responded, + _Once more, I'm a quantum computer Jaune. I can calculate the probability of events within a given time and space.+_

He vaguely remembered Roman saying something about that during breakfast, but he didn't really think about it until now.

 _'So...you can predict the future?'_

Roman made a flippant gesture with his hand.

+ _Something like that. I suppose that's a close enough approximation._ +

The full weight of having a future-predicting computer on his side settled in. Nothing could surprise him anymore. He could show up to any emergency in time to save the day. He could outmaneuver any opponent. The opportunities were endless!

A smirk pulled up at Roman's mouth. + _Now you're_ thinking, _Jaune. Are you starting to understand the kind of advantage you have?_ \+ He threw his arm around Jaune's shoulder. + _You'll be the greatest hero Remnant has seen since the Last King of Vale._ +

It hadn't even been a full day and Roman was proving to be worth his weight in debt. Jaune had never been more thankful to be gullible.

+ _I'm flattered, but you should never be grateful for your own gullibility. We'll fix that though, don't worry._ \+ Roman swung his cane around his finger. + _Now get back to the cafeteria. You should have just enough time to finish eating._ +

Jaune gladly obeyed. The close call with Cardin was now the last thing in his mind and all he could think about was the legends that would be written of him.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I am my own worst critic to be honest. I lag so hard on updating because I beat myself up over every little mistake I made and every part that could have been written better. Thanks for those of you who are still sticking around for some reason.**


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